Thursday, January 30, 2020
Theories of Formation, Maintenance and Breakdown of Relationships Essay Example for Free
Theories of Formation, Maintenance and Breakdown of Relationships Essay The reward/ need satisfaction model (Byrne and Clore 1970) is a good example of how relationships are formed. It is based on the behavioural model which is influenced by both operant and classical conditioning where we form relationships due to direct or indirect rewards. These could be money, status, companionship, sex etc. However this theory is limited as it doesn’t take into account that participants in relationships are often concerned with equity. For example Hays (1985) found that in student friendships that rewarding someone and being rewarded oneself were valued equally. Also, not all relationships can be explained by this model as it suggests that all relationships are one sided in reward giving and that people don’t do things unless they thought they’d get e reward. This doesn’t explain why relationships continue even when they become satisfactory. The reward/ need satisfaction model is likewise culturally bias; the theory is relevant to Western cultures. Many Collectivist cultures, usually in the East, show little concern for the receipt of reinforcement. Maintenance of relationships can be explained through the Social Exchange Theory (Thibault and Kelley 1959). This is an economic theory which suggests that people maximise the possible rewards in a relationship whilst minimising their costs; specifically attraction. It also suggests that commitment to a relationship is dependent on profitability of the outcome – a cost-benefit ratio. It is the outcome of this which determines the attraction to one another. The theory also argues that if your partner has a ‘high cost’ then they have to counter balance that with lots of rewards. A strength of this theory is that it helps to explain why marital dissatisfaction doesn’t necessarily predict divorce. However it fails to explain what can cause initially successful marriages to breakdown. It also suggests that all people are selfish and that they would walk out of a relationship that has become unrewarding. That however does not explain cases of domestic violence. This theory is again culturally bias; it is based on Western cultures so it assumes that people can pick and choose their partners. It doesn’t take into account arranged marriages. Walster et al (1978), suggested the Equity theory in maintaining relationships. This theory suggests that relationships are maintained by a kind of economic balance to ensure equality between the two partners. This is achieved by matching the giving and receiving between the two partners. If there is an imbalance between them, then this is resolved by either adjusting the levels of giving and receiving, or comparing the relationships to somebody else’s to evaluate whether it is worth staying in the relationship or not. A supporting study was conducted by Hatfield et al (1979), who found that the happiest newly-weds were those that perceived an equitable relationship; those that were over or under benefited had lower satisfaction. However, Hatfield also said that equity was more important for females than males. This theory however is culturally bias; it was researched in a Western society. In some cultures relationships aren’t assessed on their economic validity, so this theory cannot be generalised. This theory also suffers from beta bias- there is no comparison between males and females, so it assumes that males and females have an identical attitude to relationships when they may actually look for different things in terms of relationship maintenance. Rollie and Duck (2006) have the most substantial model of relationship breakdown. It is a phase model that describes six stages of relationship breakdown. These start from the initial breakdown, intra -psychic process, dyadic process, social process, grace dressing process to the resurrection process; where at the end a person is supposed to redefine themselves and look for a new partner. The breakdown process- one or both of the partners becomes unhappy with the relationship- ‘I can’t stand this anymore’. Intra-psychic- the individual begins to over exaggerate the irritating the other one does and focus on the bad times- ‘I’d be justified in leaving’. The dyadic process- the unhappy partner confronts the other one and they bargain and negotiate terms- ‘I mean it, I want to leave’. Social process- both partners tell their friends and family who take sides to either support the relationship or the breakup- ‘it’s now inevitable’. The grave dressing process and resurrection process is where the relationship dies and decide what they want in future relationships- ‘time to get a new life’, ‘what I learned and how things will be different’. However this model doesn’t explain how couples stay together despite having misgivings about the relationship; as breakdown isn’t necessarily inevitable. The model also assumes that all relationships go through these specific stages which ignore individual differences; not all individuals discuss problems in their relationship. Some people may ignore their problems or end the relationship there and then. This theory is culturally bias as some Eastern cultures frown upon divorce so a married couple would stay married and therefore be stuck at the social process perhaps and not get the chance to move on. A strength of this theory though is that it addresses both cognitive and behavioural aspects which include people’s feelings. This theory is also reductionist compared to the holistic view on relationship breakdown. It ignores the fact that past experiences with relationships could have an impact on the stage of dissolution in relationships, or the prevention of the dissolution of a relationship. Although the theory does have good practical applications; if the reasons for relationship breakdown according to this theory are true, then confronting relationship issues with counselling, for example, to solve problems should be effective. Research into the area of relationship breakdown is considered as socially sensitive. Therefore great care must be taken when researching participants to avoid causing unnecessary distress.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Marketing Plan for a Cosmetics Company Essay -- Business Marketing Fin
Marketing Plan for a Cosmetics Company EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.           CosmoCosmetics.      1389 Sunshine Ave.      Fort Lauderdale , Fl 34587           CosmoCosmetics has decided to create a new foundation make up line for African American women exclusively. We believe there is a niche for this type of business since no make up brands specialise in this target.      CosmoCOsmetics would be the exclusive manufacturer that sells to cosmetic retailers.      Not only would emphasise on the variety of colours but also the packaging of the product. 1.     The colours would be adjusted to this type of skin( a wide variety of darker colours ) 2.     The make up would be offered as a spray, a completely new format in the make up industry. A Compact size that doesn?t occupy any space in the hand bag, extremely easy to use and achieves the best natural and professional results any woman would dream of.           After studying the cosmetic market we can identify a series of needs in this market: 1.     EASE OF USE 2.     AVAILABILITY 3.     PORTABILITY 4.     VARIETY OF COLORS 5.     DURABLE Our Spray Foundation would meet these needs by offering: 1)     Spray packaging with a diffuser. 2)     Big cosmetic retailers across South Florida, near business areas and suburbs (Miami Downtown, North Miami Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach. 3)     Compact size: 30 ml.(doesn?t occupy much space in the lady?s purse). 4)     Variety of colours adjusted to their type of skin tone. 5)     Long Durability: Just needs to be applied once a day, for long lasting results. The combination of powder + minerals will make the makeup last longer leaving a moisturized and natural look. Market. Household and personal care product companies are making efforts to stimulate sales in a variety of ways, such as entering new markets, creating new product categories, adding new distribution channels, and acquiring (and divesting) businesses to be able to compete in this highly competitive industry. Over the last decade, sales at general merchandise stores, pharmacies and drugstores, have grown at average annual rates of 6.0% and 7.5%, respectively, according to US Census Bureau retail trade data. The US and Western European markets are reaching saturation- therefore cosmetic companies see the future markets for their products in Central and Eastern Europe, Chi... ...lenge for us. Break-even (units)= ($116.400 + $32.000)/ $23= 6.453 units /quarter Break-even sales ($)= 6.453*28.5= $183.911 Total Revenue from sales      $183.911 Cost of goods sold               $43.500                          ------------- Gross profit                    $140.411 Calculating the ratio of variable expenses to net sales The percentage is $43.500/ $183.911 = 23.65% Cosmo-cosmetics Co. uses $0.246 out of every sale dollar to cover variable expenses, leaving $0.753 as a contribution margin to cover fixed costs and make a profit. (Note: 75.3% is the contribution margin as a percentage of sales) Break-even sales = $116.400/ 0.753 = $154.582 Thus, Cosmo-cosmetics will break even with sales of $154.582 Break-even Chart We would expect a sales level of $183.911 (Point A= Income) Income & Expenses Sales Volume The break-even point is located in the intersection between the total expense line and the revenue line. As it is shows, Cosmo-cosmetics operates at a sales Volume to the right of the break-even point (point A), this means that it would earn a profit because the revenue line lies above the expense line over this range ?Profit area?
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
The Lady with the Pet Dog
Comparison of two stories of the same name A story of two lovers in an affair is never a simple thing to understand. Anton Chekhov original and Joyce Carol Oates’s updated version of â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog†tells the story of two unhappy individuals trying to find love in a long lasting affair. Both versions of the story are similar in plot, but the different point of view allows readers to view the conflicts and emotions that each character faces, instead of just getting one side of the story. Although both stories follow the same plot, there are many differences that help readers understand the emotions of the protagonist.Chekhov’s version of â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog†the main protagonist is a male named Dmitry Gurov. The third person point of view allows readers to only see how Gurov’s emotions throughout the story and not his love interest Anna. Gurov is an unfaithful husband and views women as the â€Å"inferior race†(Ch ekhov 205). He has been through many affairs in Moscow that he already knows that the affair will grow into an â€Å"extreme complexity†(205) and when the end comes a â€Å"painful situation is created†(205).In Oates version the protagonist is Anna, who is not as timid as she appears in Chekhov’s version. Anna doesn’t know what it feels like to have a bond with a person, because she can’t seem to connect with her husband. The affair allows Anna some freedom from her boring life and allows her to have some purpose in life. Yet she feels guilty for being in an affair with a stranger. The plot in Chekhov’s version is very straight forward being in chronological order, whereas Oates mixes the plot around starting with the climax first.They share the same climax of the theater, but in both stories Anna reacts differently when seeing her lover appear to see her. In Chekhov’s version, Anna is shocked by Gurov’s appearance. She tells him that she is suffering and thinks only about him, but wants to forget everything that happened. Yet she is knows she wants to be with him so she promises to see him in Moscow and tells him to leave. While in Oates’s version, Anna is shocked and very unpleased with seeing her lover, and makes sure he doesn’t come near her.Her lover then calls her, and we see that Anna get frustrated with him for calling her. We can see that Oates was trying to give Anna a little more power in the affair unlike Chekhov. The mix of the plot in Oates’s version I feel allows readers to really understand Anna and her emotions. It would’ve been easier to understand if it was in order, but Oates took the same story and updated it and wrote it in a way that made it much different from Chekhov’s. She gave Anna life and we got to see how the guilt ate at her, while Gurov wasn’t really affected as bad as she was in Chekhov’s.I had to read Oates’s story more than once to get the story into order, which allowed me to think more about Anna’s feelings more then I could do if I only read it once. In both stories the protagonist are stuck in unhappy marriages, but neither actually make an effort to divorce. The setting of Chekhov’s version takes place at the turn of the century, so I feel maybe divorce wasn’t an option for both characters then. Yet Oates had her story take place in the 1970’s, which happened to be a time of feminism, which to my surprise Anna never thought about leaving her husband for her lover.The confusing emotions from an unhappy marriage and guilt drove Anna crazy. She would ponder â€Å"this is fate†¦to be here and not there, to be one person and not another, a certain man’s wife and not the wife of another man†(222). We could tell she just wants to be accepted from someone, and that was her lover. The guilt of cheating even on a broken marriage drove her to tell he r lover that she wished that one of her men would die, so it could make things easier on her. In each story we find that the protagonist finds some sort of love in the end of the story.Chekhov’s character Gurov, sees his wife as â€Å"limited intelligence, narrow minded and dowdy†(205). Anna seems to be the opposite of his wife, which makes him even more attractive to her. Gurov has been in many affairs, but each time he was left lonely, because he was focused on looking for the sexual aspect of the relationship and not the emotional. Anna allowed him to open up emotionally, giving him someone to talk to. In the end Gurov knew he was growing old and that he truly for the first time actually loved someone.Oates’s Anna, has been through a lot of confusion never knowing who she loved. She almost commits suicide and gives up on her relationship. It takes her sometime, but she finally learns to accept her lover and the secrets. Anna was looking for her own identity and love, but she had to learn to love herself first before she could love anyone else. With the third person point of view we are limited to so much information, but Oates’s adaption sheds light on the other half of the story. A one sided story would’ve left readers with a lot of questions concerning Anna.It’s like they made the affair seem so easy in Chekhov’s version, but we find out that they struggled just like any couple would. Although the stories shared many similarities they did have their difference in approach. Works Cited Chekhov, Anton. â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog. †The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin;s 2009. 205-16 Oates, Joyce Carol. â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog. †The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin;s 2009. 219-31
Monday, January 6, 2020
How To Make Scented and Colored Bath Salts
This is a recipe for making scented, colored bath salts. Difficulty: Average Time Required: 15 minutes Heres How: Mix salts together in a bowl.Stir in remaining ingredients. Generally a drop of two of fragrance is sufficient. Use ingredients containing water with care (color, certain fragrances), since too much water will dissolve salt.Spoon salts into the jars and seal them. Decorative labels listing ingredients are nice! Tips: Make certain jars are absolutely dry. Salts absorb moisture, so this project will work better in low humidity.Kitchen fragrances work well. Try extracts of vanilla, lemon, orange, cinnamon, or mint.Not all essential oils are appropriate for bathing! Suggestions to try include lavendar, rose geranium, rosemary, or jojoba.Colors or fragrances may be omitted, if desired, for persons with chemical sensitivities.Some essential oils are naturally colored (e.g., chamomile is blue). What You Need: 2 C Epsom Salts1 C Sea Salt or Rock Salt1/4 tsp GlycerineFood ColorsEssential Oils or PerfumeJars with Lids/Stoppers
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